EVENTS
SELLING THE SIZZLE How to create better meetings post-COVID
Meetings have taken on a new focus since lockdown with conference attendees now looking forward to getting back to attending events in-person once more . So , why not give them a little extra sizzle and create something new and exciting to showcase the very best of what in-person events can achieve ? By Emma Bowyer , Owner and MD of ICMS Australasia
Some commentators have labelled the global pandemic as a reset moment for the world — an opportunity to make changes to certain areas of business and life that were a constant pre-COVID .
Like the talk of many of us finding a greater work-life balance and the opportunity for some of us to work remotely if we choose , we now also have the opportunity to reset some of our past business activities — in-person meetings included . My company organises meetings , exhibitions , and events for a living and we have done so for the past 55 years . These range from government events to conferences with delegate numbers in their thousands .
Right now , with COVID-19 still an impediment to purely live group gatherings , we are managing our clients ’ events using virtual platforms . While this has been very successful and I see this continuing for some time , we are now planning events for when we return to in-person mode and the benefits of this mode .
What I see is that there is pent up demand for people to come together , be that in a formal meeting or in a more relaxed social setting at an event . Innovation and change have not only happened in our sector , but also in many others .
Because many of us have been in lockdown for such a long period now , these programs that were once held annually or more frequently may have , from time to time , been taken for granted by those who attended . That , in my opinion , is changing and I believe that we can all play a part in creating that extra sizzle that is needed to ensure our own reset moment is long lasting and effective .
To that end , here are my top five tips on elevating your meetings and events to the next level .
Think , believe , dream , dare Some people may not know that Walt Disney was an animator before he opened Disneyland in California — often described as “ the happiest place on earth ”. He is described as a deep thinker and a dreamer and a risk-taker . To fund his theme park dream he branched out from making animated movies to producing television programs including The Mickey Mouse Club . Many at the time thought he was making a mistake .
There are many quotes attributed to Walt Disney but one of my favourites is , “ First , think . Second , believe . Third , dream . And finally , dare .”
Think of your meeting attendees as people who have never attended a meeting before . Think back to the last major meeting you attended . What did you like ? What didn ’ t you like ? What if you could take the best parts of that meeting and amplify them and at the same time discard the bits you didn ’ t ? What would it be like ?
And what would your attendees think ? They would probably receive the invitation and , while they would be excited to attend after so much time in semi-isolation , they might also remember the last one and the things they didn ’ t like . So , dream about what you can change and how you can achieve that and finally , dare to make it happen .
Be inclusive Technology has given us the ability to communicate with one another wherever we are in the world . In a live environment we have the ability to enhance that communication further through creating opportunities for people to interact with each other and presenters in a variety of formats .
Many people want to be a part of their own destiny and that includes what they are doing at work . They want to j
34 Executive PA | Summer Issue 2021